Izakaya
by Kamitra
Summary: What happens when Tezuka drinks sake? Oneshot. (Fic challenge from Aishuu.)


Title: **Izakaya**  
Author: Kamitra  
Genre: General, Oneshot. Fic challenge from Aishuu about getting Tezuka drunk.  
  
Author's Notes: Thanks to Datenshi Blue for pointing out that I got Fuji's age wrong. Thanks to all the reviewers from LJ and anyone that reads this (nevermind review).   
  
I don't drink, because I've learned that I have a /very/ low tolerance. And I also have an incredibly sensitive sense of taste, so so-so liquor tastes terrible to me, and the good stuff is only okay. But going out to drink was fun, even though I stuck to only having caffeine. At least caffeine makes me social. Anyway, this is taken by my few experiences with liquor and social drinking.  
  
I also don't remember what sensei ordered, but I'm assuming it was strong. Everyone said it was the good stuff. So that's what I put in the fic.  
  
There are no actual parings unless you want to point out the obvious hints. (In other words, pairings yes, but I don't want to focus on it.) Not really crack, but it is something I think might happen, which amuses me, just like the rest of Tenipuri. In fact this whole fic amuses me. Especially because it's supposed to be crack, but isn't.  
  
This fic is in Tezuka's point of view... not that you can tell. I think he's just that kind of person.  
  
And I took great liberties with the quote, because I wanted to. So let's just say it's not a quote, and just a line that never happened. You'll know what I mean when you see it. I personally think I might have messed up with this fic, but it was worth a shot.  
  
I need sleep.

* * *

It was when he was nineteen that Tezuka Kunimitsu first touched alcohol, despite all the cajoling and such from his peers (and seniors, for that matter) at least five years before. They all tried and failed... until he graduated from high school, and everyone decided that there was no fun in making the former tennis captain drunk when it was (almost) perfectly legal to do so.  
  
Except for Fuji Syusuke.  
  
"It's a tradition that when you turn twenty, you drink something," Fuji pointed out when he lifted his cup. "It's... fun."  
  
"We're not twenty yet."  
  
"We are by traditional standards. And this is tradition." By tradition, they would have all been twenty by the coming of the New Year.  
  
Still, Tezuka wasn't going to be convinced so easily. There was something to be said for sheer stubbornness combined with impeccable logic. That and Fuji always teased him; he knew better than to rise to the bait. "You all were drinking far before that," sipping his tea.  
  
But Fuji had just as good logic and stubbornness when he wanted something as well. It just wasn't very often. And apparently he got it into his head that this was one of those times. "You haven't, though. So there's that much more meaning in it for you."  
  
Tezuka didn't see it that way, but he wasn't about to waste his breath to say so ? Fuji knew that already. It was obvious to anyone that might have been watching that Fuji knew him well, because he didn't try cajoling or the dares that others would try. It wasn't in his nature to do so anyway.  
  
The whole reason why Tezuka was there at the _izakaya_ (food and drink establishment) was because Fuji said it was a friendly and private celebration a week after their Coming of Age day. He knew how much to not believe Fuji when he said something in his light and vague manner, but he also knew that he could be trusted enough to accept the invitation. It was just that every now and then, Fuji tried something different.  
  
Today it seemed to be alcohol.  
  
Fuji was drunk, obviously. It wasn't that his face was slightly red or that he was stumbling all over the place, although he might as well have been. It was more obvious than that ?- Fuji kept forgetting to keep his eyes closed and smile. It was rather interesting to see, to see this more wistful and cunning side of him that he didn't show people.  
  
It wasn't that he hid it -- it was that he never bothered to do anything to draw attention to that part of himself. But now Fuji was trying to cover his smiles and laughs and showing others sides that wouldn't have naturally shown on his face for very long.  
  
And of course Fuji knew that Tezuka would notice this. That was why he got drunk in the first place, after all.  
  
Tezuka was definitely not amused by this bait, but slightly intrigued despite himself. Not that he wanted to admit to it, but did Fuji know how to maneuver someone when he wanted to.  
  
After all, Tezuka did always want to see Fuji serious about something, for once. But he never was, even when he was at his most deadly serious. And he was /very/ serious now.  
  
"Can we both have a cup of this, brimming to the top?" Fuji held out a menu which Tezuka couldn't see. He wasn't interested, anyway. But he did watch as the waitress came back and brought back two little cups and carefully placed them into little box-like containers, and proceeded to pour until they overflowed.  
  
"My sister recommended it to me," Fuji explained. "I thought I'd try it out today."  
  
Tezuka felt slightly better about that. He knew that Fuji was the only person in his family with his distinct lack of discrimination of taste. His sister, however, was a superb cook and frequently was looked to as the expert opinion on all things gourmet. Of course, that was why Fuji ordered it for him.  
  
It seemed that Fuji had everything set up before he had even stepped in there, but he also knew from Fuji's many words that he never planned anything in particular. He never really understood it, but Inui had said that he tended to let things take their course and simply use an opportunity as an opportunity. And that was why he could be the way he was -- he just was never that serious about things. He made them all up as he went along.  
  
But he did plan to get Tezuka drunk. Why, he wasn't sure, but that did seem to be the plan. He wasn't even sure if Fuji had a real reason either, past simply drinking to get drunk.  
  
With a distinct lack of ceremony, Tezuka lifted up his glass and took an experimental sip.  
  
Fuji was amused. Even his hair seemed to wave to match his smile. "You're supposed to say 'kanpai' first."  
  
Without argument, Tezuka lifted his glass and Fuji did the same.  
  
Then they talked. It was all normal conversation ?- Fuji would talk about his family, school, tennis, and anything that came to his mind, while Tezuka would just listen and reply every now and then. And then the conversation would change and things started all over again. After a while, everything began to get more distant and faded, but that didn't really matter, since Fuji began to talk about how he wanted to decorate his windowsill for his cacti, like making little couches and a TV set for them to enjoy.  
  
"Can you hear me? You haven't said anything for at least five minutes now." It took him a few good moments before he realized that Fuji had asked him a question. He didn't realize that he had actually tuned the tensai out after a while.  
  
"Yes."  
  
Fuji looked even more amused than ever, but soon went back to talking. The rest night passed relatively smoothly, with Tezuka zoning out quietly and Fuji speaking of nonsense interlaced with periods of complete silence. Some of it was meaningful and some of it wasn't. Fuji didn't drink anything else after that besides water, but Tezuka was nursing his third drink in between -- it was simply that good. And strong, for that matter.  
  
Still, the night passed on pleasantly and without incident. They ordered several more dishes (after the dinner from earlier), and finally, when Fuji finished the last bit of fried rice and takoyaki, he said that he'll pick up the check, since he was older. Tezuka twitched at that slightly; Fuji still had five more weeks before he was older than him.  
  
And that was ignoring that Fuji's birthday was on the leap year...  
  
When they got up, however, Tezuka's legs folded in sudden pain from his knees to his shins.  
  
"Are you okay? What happened?" The concern on Fuji's face was very evident now, this close up.  
  
".....I think I pulled something."  
  
Fuji blinked, then started to laugh. And he wouldn't stop laughing. Tezuka was very unamused with for being the greatest source of Fuji's private amusement for the next few weeks, even though it was obvious that neither of them meant for it to happen. It took a good several minutes for the other drunk boy to piece together a sentence to explain.  
  
"You... you're not...." More chuckles. "You're not supposed to strain anything.... when you're... drunk. It's... " A slight sniffle. "It's a depressant. The only way you'd... strain.. your ligame-ligame... your muscles... is if you're overcompensat... overcompensating for the lack of control..." And then coughing mixed with laughing ensued.  
  
Tezuka didn't need a recap to know what Fuji was getting at. It was a good thing too, because it didn't look like Fuji could struggle with another coherent sentence. Inui's comment one day during practice on the tennis team threatened his thoughts.  
  
"If you don't relax your expression, you'll strain something one day." 


End file.
